Editorial: Tired of trash

Chennai is in the midst of a critical waste management crisis. More than a year after the Centre notified a ban on the manufacturing, distribution, stocking, sale and use of select single-use plastic items, we are struggling to rid our city of such plastics, and other effluents. A recent cleanup drive organised by Greenpeace International revealed that 25% of the litter found in Chennai’s beaches was plastic. The Brand Audit drive described the pollutants that made their way into our shores — plastic bottles and wrappers (25%), cigarette butts (15%), and other items such as lighters, tobacco products,and medical waste.

The reason for the prevalence of such items on the beach was the absence of an adequate number of garbage bins. Shoddy compliance on waste segregation norms is compounded by the citizens’ utter apathy when it comes to reducing the quantum of garbage in public places. It’s something that came to the fore in the backdrop of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, as Chennai was a venue hosting the matches. As many as two lakh fans were expected to turn up for the games at Chepauk. The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) reported that 18 tons of waste was collected from the stadium a day after the India vs Australia game on October 8. Food waste aside, a big chunk of the garbage constituted non-biodegradable items.

It was just a year ago that GCC began implementing the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2019, and in turn, warned residents that those failing to segregate household waste into degradable and non-degradable will be penalised. Punishing cricket buffs caught up in the spirit of the moment was not part of the plan. What also backfired during the initial days was GCC deploying e-vehicles that did not have bins for biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste. So, citizens would separate their trash, but conservancy workers would dump it all in one big pile.

The presence of numerous large sized garbage bins on the roadsides is also a hurdle to Chennai’s ‘zero-waste’ ambitions. In underserved regions, these uncovered bins turn into massive mounds of refuse, with remnants strewed all across the road. This attracts stray animals and rodents that aggravate the issue. Addressing our garbage problem will need a multi-pronged approach. For starters, the city will require a significantly expansive budget to deal with civic issues like waste management.

We need think tanks and stakeholders to come up with solutions that would make waste segregation an even more feasible and pocket friendly idea. Right now, the average cost of a box of compostable garbage bags is about Rs 30, and it takes two such boxes for an average family of four to take care of their monthly refuse. Despite such affordable pricing, segregation is still a challenge.

Encouragingly, improvements are expected in the management of biodegradable waste in Chennai. An additional 1,200 tonnes of biodegradable and recyclable waste won’t be directed to landfills as they will be processed and used to generate bio-CNG, and also shipped off to private firms buying recyclable material. The installation of a Meendum Manjappai kiosk in Besant Nagar, a first of many, will promote the use of cloth bags too. The creation of compost pits in the vicinity of neighbourhoods and apartment complexes should be considered. The upcoming Global Plastic Treaty in Nairobi aims to reduce plastic use by 75% by 2040. If only Chennai plays its cards right, we could expedite our transition to zero waste before that.